The new digital platform provides Bulgarian and international investors with valuable, centralised, up-to-date, and easily accessible information in a single portal, enabling well-informed investment decisions.
The first national platform of its kind, the Interactive Investment Map of Bulgaria, was unveiled at an official event at the Ministry of Innovation and Growth. The project was implemented by the InvestBulgaria Agency with the support of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth and contributions from Information Services. It was carried out in partnership with the National Employment Agency, the National Statistical Institute, the Agency for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, and the Directorate General European Funds for Competitiveness.
The new platform has been created to provide Bulgarian and foreign investors with useful, centralised, up-to-date and easily accessible information in one place that will be key to investment decisions. Strategic data are visualised to facilitate investors. The interactive map brings together three main categories of information:
- Industrial zones and parks
- Scientific and technological infrastructure
- Investment properties
To efficiently identify suitable zones, properties, technological equipment and research services, businesses can filter information by settlement, ownership type, area and infrastructure (availability of electricity, water, gas, etc.), among other criteria. For each selected asset, the portal provides comprehensive details, including the full address, area, ownership, land category and cadastral identification number. It also presents transport accessibility and connectivity, such as distances to motorways, railway stations, airports and ports. In addition, the portal offers economic indicators, including demographic data, labour market information and major investors in the area. Direct links to the zone’s official website and relevant contact details are also provided.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev noted that the platform is the result of systematic efforts to improve the investment environment in the country. Industrial zones are a key tool in accelerating the process. Time is a key factor for businesses, and the administration must move at the pace of the corporate sector. This platform is part of the solution – it provides clarity, accessibility and speed, the Minister added.
He further stressed that the platform will deepen ties between business and the research community by showcasing the country’s innovation infrastructure, Centres of Excellence, Centres of Competence and Sofia Tech Park, which are sites and institutions that have received tens of millions in investment over the years, including in state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. These facilities are already being used intensively by Bulgarian scientists, researchers and developers. The aim is to make this capability accessible not only to academia, but also to businesses.
“This is only the beginning. Much more work is needed to make the investment process faster and better aligned with investors’ needs. We owe them meaningful improvements that must be delivered, including greater institutional efficiency and shorter response times. We must be able, especially for key investors, to provide 24-`hour on call support to address all questions and resolve administrative issues as they arise,” Donchev added.
In conclusion, he stressed that Bulgaria’s image abroad is crucial for attracting investment to the country. “How we are perceived abroad is how we feel in Bulgaria. We need greater self-confidence; then our achievements will be even greater,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.
InvestBulgaria Agency Executive Director Mila Nenova stressed that the platform will continue to develop and be enriched with new data. “The more actively participants in the ecosystem submit information, the more useful it will be for businesses and regional development,” Nenova explained.
According to Prof. Sylvia Ilieva, Director of the GATE Institute at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, the platform represents a new approach that unites the efforts of institutions and businesses. “The Interactive Investment Map bridges knowledge and capital, ideas and implementation. It creates opportunities even for smaller settlements to present their potential, including infrastructure, research capacity and industrial sites, helping them retain young people and attract investment,” she added.
The founder and CEO of Trakia Economic Zone, Plamen Panchev, described the initiative as significant and timely. “The platform comes at exactly the right moment—it will facilitate communication between investors, institutions and industrial zones. Its success will depend on all of us being active: the more comprehensive and up-to-date the information, the greater the benefit for the economy,” he added.
During the presentation, participants rallied around the goal of increasing the platform’s international visibility, with Bulgaria’s embassies also expected to support these efforts.
Representatives of various institutions, embassies, industrial zones and parks, Centres of Excellence, bilateral chambers of commerce and industry, and companies from different sectors attended the event.
LINK to the Interactive Investment Map of Bulgaria: https://investmap.government.bg/
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*All data in the system are maintained by the InvestBulgaria Agency (IBA) in partnership with ministries, municipalities, educational institutions, and landowners and owners of sites and industrial zones/parks. The information is updated periodically. IBA strives to ensure the highest possible level of accuracy and completeness.
